Rabbit tunnel

SO, we decided to make a tunnel to go from the run into the garden so the bunnies can go in and out as they please. If you're interested here's what we did (didn't think to start taking photos straight away so it kinda jumps in at the middle :?)

We started off with:
- 2 x 8" flower pots
- 4 x 2L coke bottles
- 4 x highland spring bottles
- some coarse grain sandpaper
- a lot of duct tape
- universal glue

Step 1

Cut the base off the flower pot, cut both ends off all the highland spring bottles, cut down the middle, tape two together into a large tunnel, cut to an angle and tape to the flower pot. Times two!


Step 2

Cut both ends off all the coke bottles, cut down the middle and tape 2 together. Reinforce the edges with duct tape.


Step 3

Cut 4 strips of sandpaper to fit the coke bottle length and punch lots of holes in them.


Step 4

Join 2 sandpapers together and tape to the inside of the coke bottles, punching holes in the coke bottles to match the holes in the sandpaper.


Step 5

Go back to the Step 1 unit and cut the flower pot at an angle to lie flush with the soil (eventually)


Step 6

Position the sandpaper inside the pot-bottle unit


Trace the outline of the curve on the sandpaper


Cut to fit and glue in (you might need to rub sandpaper over the bottles to give the glue a surface to stick onto).


Step 7

Use the lips of the flowerpots (removed in Step 5)...


...to reinforce the coke bottle units


Step 8

Stick the 2 reinforced coke bottle units together to make a long tunnel


Step 9

Introduce the unit made in Step 8 to your fuzzy friends to let them get used to it



Step 10

Tape the 2 flowerpot units to the coke bottle units to make an underground tunnel shape (don't have a photo of this yet as we're still on Step 9 but here's an "artist's impression" lol:

Wow, that's great. Did the bottle of Baileys keep you going:lol:

It's brilliant, well done! We hope to move in a couple of years ( with more outdoor space) and I was only saying this week I want three runs like the one I already have (piccie below) and have tunnels between the three. I want catflap style shutters too, so I can manouver the buns into the run I want and can herd them in in the evening. Haven't quite got designs on paper yet, but image deffinitely in my head

hahahaha product placement there - oops!
the baileys is only out as it is being packed :? as we're moving. or so the story goes... :roll: also please excuse the ridiculously messy state of the bits of the house you can see - like I say, it's UTTER chaos packing and we were both fed up, hence the construction work lol. Can't wait to build the hutch (currently in 3 very large and heavy 6ft boxes in the living room) and get it all set up for them. They're gonna love it!

as for the arm - it is hubby's and NOT mine I'd like to point out :lol:

Bailey's ( or schnaps in my case) is compulsory when you move isn't it?:lol:

You know the lovely so-and-sos are gonna squish into the middle of the tunnel where you can't reach just as you're rushing to go somewhere important and trying to get them in :lol:

we did hold it in place and i tried reaching my arm in and I can get it far in enough to flick them lol!

we are planning to block the outside end off when we're not there etc so I guess as long as they're IN I can just put whatever we decide to use to block it off over the entrance ... if that makes sense...lol

I think you should be on Blue Peter!

raven_guest said:

I think you should be on Blue Peter!

Click to expand...

Here's one I made earlier:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Thats Brill!!

It is brilliant! I love the cute 'artists impression' graphic too

Wow! You have certainly been busy! Looks great! :thumb:

My only minor concern would be whether the bottles will take the weight of the soil on them once submerged. Wet soil weighs an awful lot. :?

we're only planning to put them about an inch below the soil and also (as the bottles are still fairly flexible) make sure they've an oval shape (i.e. tall and thin rather than perfectly round) to allow for compression. It doesn't need to be deep so we're just going to remove a patch of lawn, dig them in then pretty much put jsut the lawn back on top...

If it doesn't work it didn't cost much but it was great fun trying. And I got to practice my Paint skills lol

Ali said:

Here's one I made earlier:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Click to expand...

hahah it did feel a bit like that, getting hubby to hold up the "before/after" bits lol

We're starting the move this week, hopefully getting the bunnies new home together next week (or late this week if I can unpack quickly enough!!) so will update you all on if it holds up or if it just collapses straight away!

Perhaps you could use something to support the soil above the tubes, e.g. some planks of wood/poles of some sort that extended further out to the sides of the tubes to spread the weight out a bit more?

buddabun said:

hahah it did feel a bit like that, getting hubby to hold up the "before/after" bits lol

We're starting the move this week, hopefully getting the bunnies new home together next week (or late this week if I can unpack quickly enough!!) so will update you all on if it holds up or if it just collapses straight away!

Click to expand...

I think it's fab. Good luck with your move and can we have some pics of the earth moving project as excavation starts?:lol: